The Cathay Dragon Aviation Certificate Programme (CDACP), the newly renamed flagship initiative under the Cathay Dragon Youth Aviation Academy, is stepping into its 12th year, with an inaugural ceremony held on Friday to launch the 2017 programme. A total of 30 young people, shortlisted from nearly 600 applicants – a record-breaking number – are now ready to embark on an inspiring aviation journey.

Established in 2005, the CDACP offers young people a comprehensive nine-month aviation programme that aims to deepen their knowledge of aviation and boost their interest in developing an aviation career. Close to 40 per cent of the programme’s 200-plus alumni have already joined the aviation family, in jobs ranging from pilots and air traffic controllers to load controllers.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Cathay Dragon’s Director Flight Operations, Captain Peter Sanderson, said: “CDACP aims to nurture the next generation of aviation talent by offering exciting insights into our world. What makes the programme so special is that each participant will be guided by a Cathay Dragon pilot mentor, who will offer personal guidance and inspiration throughout to help their professional and personal development.”

The unique mentorship programme gives participants a chance to take part in an observation flight, following the whole journey from the pre-flight briefing to experiencing the actual flight from the cockpit. Through this, participants gain a thorough understanding of how important teamwork within the aviation community is in the operation of each and every flight.

In addition to benefiting from extensive learning opportunities, participants will be able to give something back to the local community by designing and organising a social service activity, leveraging on their leadership skills and team spirit.

Kathy Kwok, who has been working as a cabin crew with Cathay Dragon’s sister airline Cathay Pacific, is looking to use her time on the programme in order to give herself a greater understanding of the industry.

“There used to be very few opportunities to learn about aviation in Hong Kong, but I believe CDACP provides an excellent platform in which to meet like-minded individuals and boost our knowledge of the industry. Coupled with my customer-facing experience as a flight attendant, I look forward to learning more about behind-the-scenes operations and equip myself with a much broader perspective of how the sector works,” said Kathy.